“Regarding those things [the interested from Manchester United] I know nothing. It would be foolish to think about those things right now.

“I have to be focused at Valencia. I have a lot of years left [in my contract] and that’s what I have to do.”

You can hardly blame Soler for wanting to keep his head on the ground. He only made his first team debut last December and currently finds himself thriving at the core of an ebullient Valencia side sitting just four points behind Barcelona – next weekend’s opponents – in second place.

But Mourinho is unlikely to give up the fight so easily. Soler, after all, perfectly fits the kind of profile he has recently sought after ahead of the January window: a young, enterprising, fearless midfielder capable of bringing creative impetus to midfield. The likes of Lorenzo Pellegrino, Leon Goretzka and Leander Dendoncker have also been considered potential options as well.

Supporters will watch on keenly to see how Mourinho goes about overseeing further evolution in the centre at Old Trafford.